XV Corps (German Empire)


The XV Army Corps / XV AK was a corps level command of the German Army before and during World War I.
XV Corps served on the Western Front from the start of the war with the 7th Army. It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 19th Army, Heeresgruppe Herzog Albrecht von Württemberg on the Western Front.

Formation

With the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War and the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, the XV Corps was formed in March 1871 with responsibility for the new Imperial provinces. Headquarters was established in Strasbourg with the constituent units drawn from the armies of the various states of the German Empire. The Corps initially covered the entire district of Alsace-Lorraine, but from April 1890 a new XVI Corps was formed in Lorraine and the Corps was restricted to Alsace.
It was assigned to the V Army Inspectorate which became the 7th Army at the start of the First World War.

Peacetime organisation

The 25 peacetime corps of the German Army had a reasonably standardised organisation. Each consisted of two divisions with usually two infantry brigades, one field artillery brigade and a cavalry brigade each. Each brigade normally consisted of two regiments of the appropriate type, so each Corps normally commanded 8 infantry, 4 field artillery and 4 cavalry regiments. There were exceptions to this rule:
Each Corps also directly controlled a number of other units. This could include one or more
CorpsDivisionBrigadeUnitsGarrison
XV Corps30th Division60th Infantry Brigade99th InfantrySaverne, III Bn at Phalsbourg
143rd InfantryStrasbourg, III at Mutzig---
85th Infantry Brigade105th Infantry "King William II of Württemberg"Strasbourg--
136th InfantryStrasbourg---
30th Field Artillery Brigade51st Field ArtilleryStrasbourg--
84th Field ArtilleryStrasbourg---
30th Cavalry Brigade15th DragoonsHaguenau--
9th HussarsStrasbourg---
39th Division61st Infantry Brigade126th Infantry "Grand Duke Frederick of Baden"Strasbourg-
132nd InfantryStrasbourg---
82nd Infantry Brigade171st InfantryColmar--
172nd InfantryNeuf-Brisach---
39th Field Artillery Brigade66th Field ArtilleryLahr, Neuf-Brisach--
80th Field ArtilleryColmar, Neuf-Brisach---
39th Cavalry Brigade14th DragoonsColmar--
3rd Jäger zu PferdeColmar---
Corps Troops8th Jäger BattalionSélestat-
14th Jäger BattalionColmar---
9th Fortress Machine Gun AbteilungStrasbourg---
10th Fortress Machine Gun AbteilungMutzig---
10th Foot ArtilleryStrasbourg---
13th Foot ArtilleryUlm, Breisach---
14th Foot ArtilleryStrasbourg---
15th Pioneer BattalionStrasbourg---
19th Pioneer BattalionStrasbourg---
4th Fortress Telephone CompanyStrasbourg---
4th Flying BattalionStraßburg, Metz, Freiburg im Breisgau---
15th Train BattalionStrasbourg---

World War I

Organisation on mobilisation

On mobilization on 2 August 1914 the Corps was restructured. 30th Cavalry Brigade was withdrawn to form part of the 7th Cavalry Division and the 39th Cavalry Brigade was broken up and its regiments assigned to the divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters. In summary, XV Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 10 machine gun companies, 8 cavalry squadrons, 24 field artillery batteries, 4 heavy artillery batteries, 3 pioneer companies and an aviation detachment.
CorpsDivisionBrigadeUnits
XV Corps30th Division60th Infantry Brigade99th Infantry Regiment
143rd Infantry Regiment---
85th Infantry Brigade105th Infantry Regiment--
136th Infantry Regiment---
30th Field Artillery Brigade51st Field Artillery Regiment--
84th Field Artillery Regiment---
3rd Jäger zu Pferde Regiment--
1st Company, 15th Pioneer Battalion---
30th Divisional Pontoon Train---
1st Medical Company---
3rd Medical Company---
39th Division61st Infantry Brigade126th Infantry Regiment-
132nd Infantry Regiment---
8th Jäger Battalion---
82nd Infantry Brigade171st Infantry Regiment--
172nd Infantry Regiment---
14th Jäger Battalion---
39th Field Artillery Brigade66th Field Artillery Regiment--
80th Field Artillery Regiment---
14th Dragoon Regiment--
2nd Company, 15th Pioneer Battalion---
3rd Company, 15th Pioneer Battalion---
39th Divisional Pontoon Train---
2nd Medical Company---
Corps TroopsII Battalion, 10th Foot Artillery Regiment-
3rd Aviation Detachment---
15th Corps Pontoon Train---
15th Telephone Detachment---
15th Pioneer Searchlight Section---
Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to II Corps---

Combat chronicle

At the outbreak of World War I, the Corps was assigned to the 7th Army on the left of the forces that executed the Schlieffen Plan. It fought on the Western Front in Lorraine. It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 19th Army, Heeresgruppe Herzog Albrecht von Württemberg on the Western Front.

Commanders

The XV Corps had the following commanders during its existence:
DatesRankName
20 March 1871General der InfanterieEduard von Fransecky
1 November 1879GeneralfeldmarschallEdwin Freiherr von Manteuffel
16 September 1885General der KavallerieWilhelm von Heuduck
4 November 1890General der ArtillerieAlfred von Lewinski
1 April 1892General der InfanterieWilhelm Hermann von Blume
4 April 1896General der InfanterieKuno Freiherr von Falkenstein
22 May 1899GeneralleutnantEmil Freiherr von Meerscheidt-Hüllessem
6 June 1900GeneralleutnantHans Anton Herwarth von Bittenfeld
1 April 1903General der InfanterieLeopold Ritter Hentschel von Gilgenheimb
31 January 1910General der InfanterieMax von Fabeck
1 March 1913General der InfanterieBerthold von Deimling
25 May 1917GeneralleutnantEmil Ilse